SG1 The Price of Freedom
by spookysister7
Summary: Who will suffer when SG1 can't remember? violence, character death kinda
1. Introductions

SG-1: The Price of Freedom

The three men lay still and silent on the hard-packed dirt floor. The dark one roused first, body twitching and cramping in remembered pain as he struggled to a sitting position. He pushed his palm against his stomach with a wince, and then surveyed the room- or rather, the cell. A solid wood door broke the monotony of gray, dry stone. The floor was strewn here and there with clumps of dried grass, its faint musky odor overpowered by the scent of blood, excrement, and pain. An empty wooden bucket was in one corner, and by the door, a bucket filled with water.

Between the water and the dark man lay two paler men, one silver haired and older, the other younger, with long, dark, almost red hair covering his face. They stirred as he watched, the older man coming almost instantly awake, his brown eyes searching the cell even before he moved. The younger man stretched, rubbing a hand through his hair and yawning, and only gave a casual glance to his surroundings before fixing his clear blue eyes on the men.

"Hello," the younger man said as he sat up. "Where are we?" he asked innocently.

The two others remained silent. The man scratched his head.

"For that matter, who am I?" he asked, looking from one to the other for answers.

"You don't remember?" the older man finally asked, a hard edge to his words.

"Well, apparently not." Sarcasm stained the young man's voice as he stood, arms wrapping around himself.

"Nor do I." the dark man finally spoke, voice deep and rumbling. "Do you?" Confrontation seemed imminent as the large man rose from the floor.

The gray haired man scrambled to his feet. "Well, of course I... don't." His words ended in confusion. "Okay, what's going on here! I should know who I am! I'm Col..." A name almost seemed to come as if by habit, and then an odd collection of numbers... But he could remember nothing. "Damn!" he cursed, kicking at the wall in frustration. "It's right there! If only I could remember!"

The dark one raised an eyebrow at the outburst, but the other took it in stride. "O... kay. Well, I doubt kicking the walls will solve anything, so let's work with what we have. Your name is Cole, at least until you remember something more, and my name will be... Ben, for now. How about you? Do you have a name you would like to be called?" 'Ben' asked the dark man.

"I have no memory of my true name." the man rumbled.

"Neither do I. You see, the point is..." 'Cole' cut him off.

"How 'bout Zack?" Ben looked perturbed, but Cole ignored him.

"That name is satisfactory." 'Zack' agreed.

"Great. Now that that's settled, let's find a way to break outta here." Cole said, instantly impatient.

"Are you sure we want to do that? We don't know anything yet! We... we could be criminals, or, or in quarantine, or..."

"For crying out loud! If you want to stay here, stay! But I'm not gonna just sit here 'till the cows come home!"

"I agree. I, too, will not wait for bovines."

Ben looked from Cole to Zack in frustration, then finally gave in. "Alright, I'm with you." he said, resigned.

"Great! Okay, we've got water," Cole said, sniffing carefully at the full bucket, "no food, yet, the door and walls appear solid," He knocked to prove his point. "and..." Cole's words were cut short as the door opened. He leapt back into a defensive position, crouching slightly.

A giant of a man entered the room, and with him the smell of death. Cole backed away instinctively, fists raised. Zack gave no outward appearance of fear, but also backed away. Ben wrinkled his nose, but took one step forwards.

"Um, hello. Could you tell us where we are, and who you are?" His voice quavered a little as the giant looked down at him.

"You will come with me." The giant thundered, stomping towards Ben.

Ben backed away until his spine touched the stone wall. "Cole..." he said unsteadily, blue eyes pleading.

Cole moved between them, wedging himself between a rock and a soft place. "What if he doesn't want to go with you?" Cole asked belligerently, not quite sure what he could do against the large man. The man's silver-gray eyes moved to look at Cole, their scraping movement like stone against stone.

"What he wants is irrelevant. He will come with me." The man brushed Cole away, sending him spinning across the room to land at Zack's feet.

Ben looked about helplessly as the large man wrapped a massive hand around his biceps, half pulling, half lifting him from the cell. His pained blue eyes were the last thing they saw as the heavy door slammed shut.

Cole struggled to his feet, shrugging off Zack's help. He turned his brown eyes to the dark man, anger burning. "Why didn't you at least try and help him! You could have done something!"

"I would have been unsuccessful. The opponent was too great."

"So what! You could have at least tried!" Cole spat out in frustration. Zack simply raised an eyebrow. The door opened once more. The giant entered.

"You will come with me." He looked towards Zack.

"Where did you take Ben? What are you going to do with them!"

"That is irrelevant. He will come with me." The giant strode towards Zack and wrapped a meaty hand around his bicep. His massive hand had no problem fully encircling Zack's well-built arm. Zack silently obeyed, managing a more dignified exit. He didn't look back.

Now Cole had the cell to himself. He paced.


	2. Cole and L'ila

She was thrown in hours later. Exactly 4,437 steps later, to be exact. Cole tensed as the door opened, wishing now that he had not wasted his energy in pacing. Before he could so much as catch a glimpse of the hulking figure outside the door, her body was shoved into the room, her arms wind milling to gain her balance. She landed hard but immediately scuttled into the farthest corner from him, trembling weakly. Standing, she hid her face with her bruised wrists and cowered deeper into her rags. Shreds of clothing from what looked like several sources clung to her thin frame; a bit of dirty blue, some faded scarlet, a snatch of green.

Cole watched her for a moment, and then stepped over to her quickly. "Who are you?" he barked, deciding to play the only card he had, intimidation. It seemed to work a little too well. She whimpered. He stepped closer, trying to look at her face. Her hand shot up, small fist aimed for his nose. Reacting quickly, he grabbed the thin wrist in mid-swing. His iron grip never wavered as she struggled to pull away.

After a moment, she gave up. With a sound between a moan and a sigh, she slowly raised her free hand towards her shoulder and loosened her collection of rags. Her cloudy green eyes stared at the wall behind him as her clothing fell to the floor and she was left bare.

Cole released her wrist, letting it fall limply by her side. His eyes automatically roamed over her body, noting the bruises, both fresh and nearly healed, the scars, almost faded and still bleeding, and the fact that she could have been quite beautiful if she ever had enough to eat. He bent, and her eyes never moved, but he saw a small shudder go through her. He picked up her rags and slowly stood, placing them around her one more. She seemed frozen in fear and never moved to fasten her outfit. His fingers fumbled momentarily, and then found the catch. As his hands dropped away and he took a step back, she met his eyes. Confusion and doubt wrinkled her forehead as she stared at the man.

He gestured at himself. "Cole." he said softly. She didn't move. "Cole." he said again, and then gestured toward her.

Her mouth opened a tiny bit. "L'ila." she whispered her name like a song.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Lila, but I'd like us to become friends." He moved closer, trying to communicate friendship. She drew back, fearful again. "No, no. It's okay. Friends don't hurt each other." Cole said gently, talking as if to a frightened animal. He backed away and sat down, trying to be as unintimidating as possible.

By the time she stirred from her corner, his eyes were drooping. Only the subtle rustle of her rags brought him back from sleep. She moved towards him and he froze, not wanting to shatter her courage. She cautiously sat down to his right, watching his every move. A strand of her stringy blue-black hair had fallen across her face. He moved slowly, his hand open and unthreatening, and brushed the strand back.

"Friends?"

"Fr'nds." L'ila responded, brushing her hand through his graying hair.


	3. Ben and Tess

Ben's arm hurt. After that overgrown Neanderthal had tossed him into this cell, virtually identical to the one he had just come from, he had kept himself busy trying to escape. Now, three futile searches later, he had nothing to occupy his mind. So the pain won. He pulled up the sleeve of his thin black t-shirt and hissed at the violent purple bruises encircling his arm.

The sound of the lock sliding back quickly refocused his attention. The door opened and, before he could even utter a word, a woman was tossed in. The door slammed shut. The woman was on her feet in moments, fists raised and feet planted firmly. Her clothes looked a little beat up and there was a fresh bruise on her cheek, but she still managed to look dangerous. Her ice-blue eyes flashed in anger through her short blonde hair.

"You even come near me and I'll kill you!" she snarled. Ben backed away warily.

"Okay, okay! I'm not going to hurt you, calm down. My name's Ben and yours is...?"

"None of your business!" she said coldly, looking away for the first time. Ben's eyes narrowed.

"You can't remember either." he said softly, stepping closer. She eyed him, fists still raised. "Look, I'm telling you the truth. I don't know who I am or where I am, and neither did the two men I woke up here with. I just gave myself the name Ben because it was better than nothing."

He raised his hands slightly, palms open and unthreatening. She looked him over, sizing him up. "Holy Hannah." she whispered, looking down at herself and lowering her fists.

"What?" Ben asked, looking down at himself and then over at her.

"Our clothes, they're the same!"

"Yah, so? The other two guys had on the same outfit. I just assumed it was some kind of prison uniform." He shrugged.

"No, the other women had on all sorts of clothes. Nobody matched. And that last guy..." She looked up at him. "I think we're connected somehow."

"What? Like the same clan, or tribe, or something?"

"Something." she stated, certain. Ben moved closer, looking her over. She suddenly realized what he was doing and backed away. "That doesn't mean I trust you." she growled. "You're still a guy, even if we are connected."

Ben's brow furrowed. He was trying to determine if there was some kind of markings he could use, not... "Oh." He realized what she was afraid of. "Oh! No, you've got it all wrong! I wouldn't..." He paused and lowered his voice. "Did, did the last, uhum, guy try to do something?"

"He tried." she said with a wolfish grin. Ben winced.

"Yah, well, trust me, I'm not gonna try anything. Besides, somehow I don't think I'd succeed." He smiled at her reassuringly. She seemed to relax a little. "So, we've got to give you a name. How about Hannah?" She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Uh, Sarah?" Same response. "Tess?" Silence. He waited patiently.

"Tess." she said, trying it out. "Okay. My name's Tess."

"Great! Tess, okay, now I'm just going to look for some writing or something, so don't knock me out, and, when I'm done, you should look me over too, just in case." Her eyes scanned down his body.

"Not a problem." she said.

He nodded, and then his head shot up. "Now should I be worried?"

She just grinned.


	4. Kal'tor

"They will come soon." L'ila whispered, her head lying against Cole's shoulder. He shifted, his back screaming to change position after a long night propped against the wall. He opened his mouth to say something, but she shook her head. "No. Do not say it. You cannot stop them from taking me."

"Then we have to escape." His voice grated in the quiet.

"There are only two escapes possible."

"What?"

"Death..."

"Not an option."

"and Kal'tor."

He looked down at her. "What's Kalter?"

"A fight between two prisoners. The one that wins is freed."

"That doesn't sound so bad. How do you win?"

"The one who wins is the one who does not die."

"A fight to the death?" Cole paled.

"The winner may also take a female." she whispered hopefully. He looked down at her. Freedom for himself, freedom from everything that had happened to her and all he had to do was kill someone. Someone he didn't even know. Someone who deserved to die, maybe.

"Okay. I'll do it." He looked down at her. "We will be freed." He squeezed her tight. "I'll win."


	5. Teal'c

"Ben! Ben, wake up! I hear someone coming!"

"Huh? What?" Ben rubbed a tired hand across his face. The lock clicked, and Ben scrambled to his feet as the door swung open. The behemoth was back. Tess backed into the corner; sure he had come for her.

"You will come with me." The giant intoned, looking at Ben. Tess stared at him in surprise.

"Ben?"

"Where?" Ben asked the man.

"To be prepared for Kal'tor."

Ben paled. "What? What's Kal'tor?" Tess asked.

"Death battle." Ben whispered, his face stricken with fear. "A fight to the death."

The giant grabbed his already bruised arm, dragging him from the cell.

"No! Why are you taking him!" Tess shouted, grabbing Ben's free arm. The giant shoved her back into the cell. "Ben!" The door slammed shut.

Ben was getting sick and tired of being tossed into cells. This one was even smaller than the other two. Now what was he supposed to do? Just wait until they dragged him out to some arena, threw him in front of a slavering crowd, and set him against an opponent three times as big! He didn't even know if he could kill someone to keep from getting killed.

The door opened. Ben's head shot up. He had not heard the giant's footsteps.

The dark man, Zack, slid in and silently shut the door behind him.

"Zack?"

"My name is Teal'c."

"You remember? But how?" Teal'c pulled his shirt up, revealing the x-shaped pouch. Ben pulled back in revulsion.

"My symbiote was injured. Once it was healed, it restored my memories." Teal'c opened his hand to reveal a small syringe. "This is the antidote. Inject yourself quickly." Ben looked at the needle with doubt.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"I am sure, DanielJackson." Ben looked up in surprise. He took the needle.

He must have backed out, because the next thing he knew, Teal'c had him rather effectively immobilized.

"Oomph! Teal'c, you can get off now." Daniel moaned. Teal'c stood quickly. Rolling over, Daniel sifted through his memories. Yep, all there.

"Are you well, DanielJackson?"

"I'm fine, I think." He stood, brushing himself off.

"The antidote apparently causes pain. You were most aggressive."

"Sorry." Daniel muttered, not quite sure how to respond. "So, where are..." Teal'c spun around in alarm.

"He comes. Here. Take the antidote. You must inject O'Neill." Teal'c slid cat-like to the door, peeking out.

"But how will I find him?" Daniel asked. Teal'c looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"He is your opponent." Teal'c slid out the door, shutting it behind him.

"Jack?" Daniel squeaked. "Oh, I'm dead meat." he moaned, staring at the tiny vial in his palm.


	6. Fight

The arena was small, smaller than he thought it would be. Cole, nervous, sickened, and at the same time prepared, paced a hole in the bloodstained dirt floor. The door opened, and the giant entered, pushing a stumbling Ben in front of him.

"I'm going, I'm going." Ben mumbled, pushing up his glasses.

The giant sat on the throne-like chair raised slightly above the arena floor.

"Fight!" he roared as the men stared at each other.

"Ben?" Cole asked in disbelief.

"Um, hi, Jack."

"The name's Cole."

"Oh, yah, sure, Cole. Look, this is gonna sound strange..."

"FIGHT!" the giant roared again, picking up a whip.

"Ben, did you want to fight?"

"Want to? No! I got picked up out of my cell and..."

"Sir! Yo, Giant Dude!" Cole screamed up at the man. "He didn't ask to fight! I can't fight him!"

"Fight!" the giant repeated, cracking his whip. A strand of blood appeared on Cole's right arm.

"No! I won't fight him! Send someone else! Someone who wants to fight!"

"Fight or I kill the women!"

Cole's eyes widened in horror. Not Lila.

He turned to Ben. "I'm sorry." he whispered, and then he leapt.

Painless. Make it painless. Cole shut his eyes as he grabbed Ben, flipping him around. Cole pulled his arm tight around Ben's neck, cutting off his oxygen. Ben writhed in his grasp, pulling at his arm.

"I'm sorry, Ben, I'm sorry." Cole whispered into his ear, eyes closed. He didn't want to see his face as he died. And then there was pain.

Cole's eyes flew open as he felt the needle enter his thigh, and then a rush of burning flashed from the point.

"Augh!" His horse cry echoed in the arena, his arms flying to his leg. Ben staggered forward out of range.

It burned. It burned! Kill him! With a roar, Cole launched himself at the younger man, hands curved blades. His fingers wrapped around his neck even as Ben backpedaled. The man's blue eyes widened, his fingers prying at the iron vice around his throat. And then Cole felt it. Beneath his hands came a sickening CRUNCH, felt more than heard. And Ben's eyes went from tearful pools of blue to pale grey marbles; unseeing, unfeeling, dead.

Cole let go, staggered back two steps, and blacked out.


	7. Fight Daniel's POV

That hulking monstrosity shoved him down the dark hallway like a child. He was almost a relieved to see Jack, and then he remembered. Jack's gonna kill me, and I don't mean figuratively.

"Hi, Jack." Ben, okay. Uh, actually, my name's Daniel, but I guess it really doesn't matter at the moment. Cole, right.

"Sure, Cole. Look, this is gonna sound strange..." Real strange.

Do I wanna fight! "Want to? No! I got picked up out of my cell and..." Wait a minute, did that mean he wanted to fight?

Oh, that had to hurt. Fight, fight, fight. Is that all that guy thinks about? Yah, you tell him, Jack!

Crap! Carter! If we don't fight, he's gonna kill Carter! Wait a minute; Jack doesn't know Carter's here. Heck, Carter doesn't know Carter's here! And he said women, plural. Does that mean...? Jack and a woman, in his cell, alone... No, he wouldn't... Jack wouldn't, but Cole... Oh, crap. I don't like sorrys!

Jack, let go! Oh, God, he's killing me! I can't breathe! He's too strong! The syringe! I've got to give him the antidote. Got... to... Got it! Sorry, Jack.

I can breathe! Oh, sweet air! "Jack? Jack?" Is he okay? Oh, no. "No, Jack! No!" His fingers are so tight! Oh, God help me! No! I don't want to die! Jack, you'll hate yourself! Stop, please stop!

CRUNCH

I'm dead. Jaaaack!


	8. Winning

The giant was gone when he awoke. Jack sat up; hoping, praying it had been a nightmare.

"Nooo." he moaned, his eyes filling with tears he could never shed. Daniel lay limply on the ground in front of him. He crawled to his side, fingers reaching for his mangled throat, and felt nothing.

A flash, his hands wrapped around that same throat, blue eyes pleading, the crunch.

"Daniel! Oh, God, why! Why did you let me kill him! He should have killed me! YOU should have killed me! WHY! Oh, Daniel, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Jack cradled his friend's body in his arms; like he'd cradled his son's body, like he'd seen Daniel cradle his wife's body. It never helped. It never brought them back.

"Cole?" A perplexed whisper broke through his mourning. L'ila. "You have won." she stated, not understanding his grief.

"Yes." he responded almost too quietly for her to hear.

"Are we not free?"

"We are."

"Then why do you sorrow?"

Jack finally looked up, and the pain she saw in his eyes caused her to gasp.

"He was my friend."

She closed her eyes. "I am truly sorry."


	9. Murderer

Tess looked up as the door was flung open.

"It is done." the giant thundered.

"Ben?"

"The male lost."

Tess paled. "He's dead?" she whispered.

The giant nodded. "You may prepare the body." he said, gesturing to the right. He turned and left the door swinging open behind him.

Tess traveled down the hallway as if in a daze. Coming to the big, heavy door at last, her hand shook as she touched the knob. She pushed it open.

"Ben?" her trembling voice came out high-pitched and tearful. There was a man holding his still body. He looked to be... crying over him, the woman behind him rubbed his temple. Ben's murderer, she realized. How dare he! "How dare you!" she shrieked. "You killed him! You killed him!" Tess shoved the murderer away from Ben's body and slapped him as hard as she could across the face.

"Sam?" the murderer's thin voice escaped from his bloodied lip, a look of betrayal in his eyes.

"Murderer." she spat, then returned to her friend's poor, pale body. Ben was already growing cold. Tess removed his glasses, slipping them into the front pocket of his tattered pants, and closed his still, clouded eyes.


	10. Anger

Jack left the arena, L'ila trailing silently behind him. Outside the doorway, he sank to the ground, head in his hands. L'ila tried her best to comfort him, but it was if he was no longer there.

L'ila tensed as the man came jogging down the corridor.

"Cole! Cole, someone is coming! Cole!" she whispered, trying to pull him to safety. He didn't react, never raising his head. L'ila stood, trying to protect him as the dark man came closer.

"Leave us be!" she shouted. The man cocked his head.

"I will not harm you. I wish only to speak to my companions. O'Neill?" Jack didn't respond. "Was DanielJackson successful? Have you regained your memories?" Silence. "What has occurred?" Teal'c asked L'ila.

"You are one of Cole's fr'nds?"

"Yes."

"Then it is with sorrow that I must tell you of the death of his other fr'nd."

"DanielJackson is dead?" Teal'c asked in disbelief, eyes fluttering from L'ila to O'Neill.

"I do not know his name, but the one with whom Cole fought was defeated and lies within this room. But be careful, his female is very angry!" L'ila warned as Teal'c sprinted into the arena.

"What do you want?" Tess asked bitterly as the dark man entered the room. "If you've come for his body then you're gonna have to wait. He isn't prepared yet."

"I am a friend of DanielJackson and of yours, MajorCarter."

She looked up with bleary eyes. "His name was Ben and mine is Tess, and we have no friends here."

Teal'c drew closer, secretly pulling out the vial of antidote. "You are wrong, MajorCarter." Teal'c said quietly as he injected her.

Moments later, she awoke in his arms. Teal'c grip relaxed and she pulled away, looking up.

"Teal'c? What happened? Where are we? I..." Her eyes widened in horror and filled with tears. She turned and kneeled on the ground beside her friend. "Daniel. Oh, God, Teal'c. He's dead." She brushed her fingers through his long hair, studying his ashen face. She stood and threw her arms around Teal'c, needing some kind of comfort.

"I am sorry, MajorCarter." Teal'c whispered, patting her back in his version of comforting. She pulled away suddenly and covered her mouth with one hand, a look of shame and disbelief on her face.

"Oh my God. The Colonel. I blamed him. I slapped him! Teal'c." She looked up in near panic. "Jack won't be able to live with this. What will he do?"

"This Danyel means much to J'ck." L'ila said quietly from the doorway.

Sam looked at her, the answer coming out before she could think. "Yes, very much."

"I see." L'ila paused, thinking. "You and Teal'c?" He nodded in affirmation. "Comfort J'ck. I believe he needs you now, his fr'nds."

Sam nodded slowly. Swallowing her fear, she left the arena and Teal'c quietly followed.

"O'Neill?"

"Colonel, it's us." Sam shook her head sadly as his vacant eyes finally focused. "Colonel, I'm so sorry for what I said to you. It wasn't..."

He cut her off. "Don't say it wasn't true, Carter." His voice sounded rusty and old. "I did kill him. There's no denying it. I am a murderer."

"No, Colonel! You didn't know!"

Teal'c interrupted. "The antidote causes much pain and promotes aggression."

"Bull#$&. I killed him so I could get out of here and take Lila with me. That's all there is to it. I murdered him."

"Colonel..." Sam started but was cut off by a voice she was sure she would never hear again.

"Jack! JACK! Jack, get in here!" Daniel screamed, sounding panicked. "Sam, Teal'c, anybody! I need help! Jack!"

Colonel Jack O'Neill sprung to his feet and raced into the arena, Teal'c only inches behind him. Sam moved slowly, stunned. "But he's dead..." she whispered to herself.

"Carter, get in here!" Jack cried, snapping her out of it. She ran.


	11. Death

Death. Quiet, peaceful, it was all it was cracked up to be, and yet... There was something missing. It was like he was waiting for something, someone. If he could just remember.

"Danyel." a voice whispered out of the darkness. "Danyel, you must return."

"Return where?"

"Your fr'nds need you. J'ck needs you. You must return to them."

Jack? Oh, God, Jack! "Tell me how! Show me the way!"

"You must hurry. Follow the light." A small spark appeared in the darkness, glowing a thousand times brighter than the strongest candle. Daniel followed it, not walking, not flying, but moving. It grew larger until it engulfed him. It should have been painful, he knew, but instead it was like a warm hug that penetrated into his bones. And then the pain came. Not his own, and yet his own, a scream of anguish and infinite sadness erupted from him.

"Jack! JACK!" He was alive. The first breath was fire, the second burning coals, and then it faded. A woman lied next to him, breathing shallowly, her throat a mass of bruises.

"J'ck?" she whispered, eyes searching.

"I'll find him, I'll find him. Lie still."

"J'ck." she whimpered, life fading before his eyes.

"Jack, get in here! Sam, Teal'c, anybody! I need help! Jack!"


	12. Wrong Place, Wrong Time

Daniel! He's alive, he's alive! A grin of pure relief cracked almost painfully on O'Neill's face. And then he saw her, Lila.

"Jack, help her!" Daniel begged, looking up, hunched over her still form. O'Neill froze; waiting for that small movement, that silent rise that signaled that hope was not yet lost.

"J'ck?" her tiny voice whispered as her eyes sought him. He fell to the floor beside her, lifting her gently into his arms. Daniel looked up at him with sorrow filled eyes.

"Jack, she..." O'Neill cut him off with a shake of his head. Carter. Where was Carter? She's had medical training, maybe she could...

"Carter, get in here!" Even as he said the words, he knew she could do nothing. Carter came skidding around the corner, sliding to a stop a few feet away, mouth hanging open.

"Daniel?" she whispered, searching him over as if he would disappear at any moment.

"I'm fine, Sam, but she's hurt bad." His words seem to bring her out of her stupor, and she brushed by Teal'c silent, guarding presence to kneel in front of O'Neill and L'ila. After a quick examination, she shook her head.

"Colonel..." Carter's wavering voice expressed the words she couldn't say. His eyes closed painfully, and he nodded. Carter stood. Brushing a hand across Daniel's shoulder and gesturing towards Teal'c, they left so O'Neill could have what little privacy they could offer.

"It is good to see you well, DanielJackson." Teal'c rumbled quietly as they stood just outside the arena door. Daniel smiled slightly and nodded. Carter just stood there, eyes flickering between Daniel's face and the door, hand clenched tightly around Daniel's wrist.

"She gave her life for me. Who is she?"

"I am unaware. Presumably, she is the female that was imprisoned with O'Neill. She expressed much concern for his welfare."

"This isn't fair." Daniel mumbled; frown etched in his face. Carter looked up at him mutely. "Why do we always have to trade one life for another? Why does she…" He fell silent and looked down, eyes glued to the floor in an effort to hide his shining eyes.

"She gave you back to us. We didn't know she could; we didn't ask her to. She saw how much pain the Colonel was in, we were all in. She made her decision. It's not your fault." Carter felt a sense of déjà vu, repeating her words once more to deaf ears.

A snort of suppressed laughter escaped the still-hidden confines of Daniel's face. "No, none of this is anyone's fault. We're just in the wrong place at the wrong time. And we always take someone down with us." The bitterness in his voice worried Carter and Teal'c and they exchanged a look of mutual concern.

Daniel fingered his pale, undamaged throat and stared at the floor.


	13. Free

The woman in his arms trembled, just a little, just enough to show how much pain she was in. He offered what little he could- his presence.

"Lila, why? Why did you do it? Why did you heal him if you knew...?" His voice left him, but he could shed no tears. He just sat there, holding her, while tremors shot through his limbs, crying silent, invisible tears.

"J'ck?" He looked up at her tiny, bruised face, sea-green eyes peeking beneath blue-black flesh. "Danyel is...?"

"He's back, Lila."

"You are still sad?"

"Of course I'm still sad!" He couldn't keep the raw anger out of his voice. "I didn't want to trade the life of one friend for another!"

"You did not tr'de." He looked ready to correct her, but she continued. "You do not own me. I am free. My life is freely given. No tr'de." she explained. Her breath hitched as she finished, and, for a moment, she couldn't take in air. It passed, and she sucked in air hungrily.

O'Neill watched in silence, taking every straining breath with her. "Lila, I... Thank you." For helping him, for saving Daniel, for freely giving what was hers to give.

"J'ck?" her voice wisped between pained gasps. She brushed a thin, weak hand through his gray temples. "Remember, be free." Her eyes closed and she was silent.

"Goodbye, Lila." He stood; her body gently folded in his arms, and turned his back on the arena.

END


End file.
